California Community College Board Votes for New Enrollment Policies
By Manuel Flores | 07/12/2012 | California, Education, Featured, Issues | 4 Comments
Credit: skill-guru.com
The California Community College Board of Governors voted recently to alter enrollment policies by 2014 to provide students on track to graduate with an upper hand towards enrollment. The final vote prioritizes students who are academically promising over those with more than 100 units.
The demand for community college classes in California is at an all-time high. The recent budget cuts have spawned a domino effect of restrictions. Community colleges have reduced course offerings by 15 percent since 2008. On Monday, the board of governors also passed a limit on recreational courses. The staggering conditions have caused enrollment rates to drop by 300,000, according to the Chancellor’s Office. Remaining students will find it even harder to enroll for classes.
On July 9th, 2012, as part of the recommendations of the Student Success Task Force, the board of governors voted on modifications to the Title 5 amendments in regard to enrollment priories. The new enrollment policies would remain roughly the same with one change in particular. The earliest slots would be designated to active-duty military, veterans, and foster youth. The second slot would go to students with disabilities or those in Extended Opportunities Programs. The third slot would change. Students who have attended orientation, completed their assessments, and have provided an academic plan would follow. Students in good academic standing and less than 100 units would also be considered. The last slot would be designated for students on academic probation and more than 100 units.
In addition to the enrollment policy change, the Board of Governors passed regulation on the retake of classes. The new regulation will prevent students from being able to repeat a course that they have already completed. Students were previously allowed to retake a class up to four times. Community colleges seek to provide academically promising students with course offerings suitable to their demands. This new regulation would take effect by the fall of 2013.
The Student Success Task Force, a coalition of 21 members ranging from directors, politicians, and professors came about in early 2011. The Task Force provided the Board of Governors with a set of recommendations that would refocus the California educational system in efforts to provide students with the resources for success.
The final adoption by the board of governors will take place in September.
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4 Comments
Amanda Le
07.12.2012
@amandale
It seems like a crack down on community college requirements and a push toward weeding out students. Isn’t one of the main benefits of a community college be the ability to receive a college education without a hierarchy of benefits going to certain students? Will this extend the time the average community college student has to spend before he/she can transfer or graduate?
Manuel Flores
07.13.2012
@mannyflores
True. The California Higher Education was developed to provide students with alternatives to high education. The system has then spiraled to what is it is today. This new vote on enrollment policies is supposed to help students get on track and eventually graduate. California State universities have already frozen transfer admission for the Spring. They are probably trying to scare lingering students into moving forward.
Heather Rogers
07.17.2012
@heatherrogers
I agree that students who are on track to 4 year colleges should receive priority from community colleges. They NEED the classes while others taking them for recreational purposes do not. These new policies give incentive for students to get their AA degrees in 2 years and move on to universities. There’s not much reason why anyone should take 3 or 4 years at community college before moving on.
Lauren Moore
07.19.2012
@laurendimitra
This is already basically in effect iwth feeder schools- community colleges that will keep students to specifically train them to get accepted to certain universities. If certain community colleges have relationships to get people to college, why wouldn’t we make sure classes go to the people going to university and not people taking one or two classes for fun. The only downside is people who are taking classes to advance their careers- who are employed and only need a couple classes for a promotion. Then they should be given priority action too.